The world’s first pilots to fly the superjumbo Airbus A380 will be paid more than those flying conventional jumbo jets, an arbitration court in Singapore ruled yesterday.
The Industrial Arbitration Court judgment settled a pay dispute between Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the double-decker A380, and its pilots.
A three-member panel ruled that the minimum salary for captains on the A380 – the world’s biggest passenger plane – will be $S700 ($551) a month more than that for captains on the conventional Boeing 747-400 jumbo jet.
The panel consisted of representatives from the airline and the pilots, and a judge.
The basic pay for a 747-400 captain is $S10,000 a month, SIA told the hearing.
In its ruling, the court said the maximum salary for A380 captains will remain at $S16,500, the B-744 maximum.
The court also said the minimum for first officers on the superjumbo will be $S450 more than on the 747-400.
Both sides welcomed the decision.
The Air Line Pilots Association Singapore president, Captain P. James, told reporters the salary award was “fine” even though it was below the $S1000 the union had sought.
“It’s at least more than half-way of what we wanted,” Mr James said.
SIA spokesman Stephen Forshaw said the court’s decision brings an end to the dispute.
“The judgment now gives us some certainty to move forward,” he said.
During the hearing, Mr James argued that asking for higher salaries to fly the A380 was in accordance with long-established practice.
“Different fleets command different pay. This is market practice and has also been the company’s practice,” he argued.
SIA wanted to peg the A380 pilots’ pay to that of the wage scale for the Boeing 777, where a captain earns a starting salary of $S9300 a month.
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May 27, 2007 at 6:06 am